- Secretary Jay Shah and president Sourav Ganguly to have longer tenures
- While Ganguly was an office bearer in the Cricket Association of Bengal, Shah had served in the Gujarat Cricket Association.
- Under BCCI’s constitution as agreed by the Supreme Court in 2018, anyone who had completed two consecutive terms of three years each in their state associations or the BCCI is required to spend a mandatory cooling-off period of three years.
NE SPORTS BUREAU
NEW DELHI, SEP 14
In a big boost to Sourav Ganguly & Jay Shah, the Supreme Court of India has pronounced its verdict on the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)’s plea related to the tenure of its office-bearers. The top court agreed to BCCI’s plea for an amendment in its constitution during a hearing on Wednesday afternoon. The Supreme Court has allowed BCCI’s plea to modify the mandatory cooling-off clause for the board’s administrators.
BCCI office-bearers can now have a maximum of 12 years in one tenure at BCCI & at the state association before the cooling off period kicks in. SC’s order enables Sourav Ganguly and Jay Shah to have longer tenures at BCCI.
Back in December last year, the BCCI requested the Supreme Court for an amendment in its constitution, in relation to the tenure of its secretary Jay Shah and president Sourav Ganguly. During an earlier hearing on Tuesday, the Supreme Court, BCCI, and the court-appointed legal team reached a tentative consensus to allow two consecutive terms to the office-bearers, irrespective of their earlier tenure in the state associations.
Under BCCI’s constitution as agreed by the Supreme Court in 2018, anyone who had completed two consecutive terms of three years each in their state associations or the BCCI is required to spend a mandatory cooling-off period of three years.
BCCI president Ganguly has been an office bearer for the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) for six years now, while secretary Shah has served the Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) for six years. The BCCI constitution plea was submitted by the board in order to ensure Ganguly, Shah, and the joint-secretary Jayesh George do not get removed from their positions.
A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and Hima Kohli said that an office bearer can have continuous tenure of 12 years which includes six years in State Association and six years in BCCI before the cooling-off period of three years triggers.
The bench said that an office bearer can serve on a particular post for two consecutive terms, both at the BCCI and the State Association level, after which he would have to serve three years cooling-off period.
“The purpose of the cooling-off period is not to create undesirable monopolies”, the bench said.
The BCCI, in its proposed amendment, has sought the abolition of a cooling-off period for its office bearers which would enable Ganguly and Shah to continue in office as President and Secretary despite them having completed six years at respective state cricket associations.
Earlier, the Justice R M Lodha-led committee had recommended reforms in the BCCI which have been accepted by the top court.
The constitution of the BCCI, which was earlier approved by the top court, stipulates a mandatory three-year cooling-off period for anyone who had served two consecutive terms of three years each in the state cricket association or the BCCI.
While Ganguly was an office bearer in the Cricket Association of Bengal, Shah had served in the Gujarat Cricket Association.
